Sport sock



Dec, 6, 19% u. E. ABEL 3,239,32fi

SPORT SOCK Filed Aug. 50, 1965 W .m w j IN WIN "10R.

UUQSUA/Q E ASEL BY%%W ATToQNEvi United States Patent 3,289,328 SPORT SUCK Ursula E. Abel, 902 W. Roma Ave, Phoenix, Ariz. Filed Aug. 30, 1965, Self. No. asaszz 1 Claim. or. 369) This invention relates to an article of footwear in the category of foot covers or socklets worn on the foot be low the ankle when the wearer is not wearing stockings, and sometimes they are worn over or under stocking feet. While the utility of my invention is not limited thereto, one of its principal uses is as a sports sock.

A principal disadvantage of conventional items of this sort is that they are necessarily manufactured in such a way that one or more seams appear in the sole or bottom and back wall of the article, which render the article somewhat uncomfortable. Such an article is usually knitted to provide it with suflicient elasticity to enable it to be stretched over the foot, and consequently such articles are quite flimsy and are apt to work down on the foot. In fact, in the conventional foot cover of this type, a relatively stiff reinforcing strip, known as a counter is usually employed as a liner for the upper part of the heel portion of the article, or else a tassle-like member is secured to the top edge of the heel portion of the foot cover in such position that it might overhang the heel portion of a shoe to resist sagging of the foot cover.

Another disadvantage of conventional items of this sort is their cost of manufacture which inheres from their structure.

It is therefore an object of my present invention to provide a foot cover or sport sock which has its bottom wall uninterrupted by any seam or seams; which may be economically manufactured from a one-piece blank or strip of material, requiring only a seam along one side of the article at its intersection with the bottom wall, and one side seam in the upper portion of the article. It is also an object to provide an article of this character which is of such construction that the use of a reinforcing liner or counter for the heel portion or the above described tassle-like member is unnecessary.

Other and more subordinate objects will appear hereinafter.

For the purpose of explaining my invention, I shall now describe a presently preferred embodiment thereof, for which purpose I shall refer to the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is the side elevation;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged section taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the blank or strip of material of which my article is made; and

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of a modified form of my invention.

Referring now to the drawing, my foot cover or sports sock is generally denoted by the numeral 5 and has a bottom or sole wall 6 presenting an upturned flange 6a ex tending lengthwise of the sock, an upper portion 7, and a top edge 8 defining a foot passing opening. A continuous elastic band 9 may be stitched to the top edge 8 around the opening.

It will be noted that the bottom wall 6 (for a sock to be worn on the right foot) is formed by folding the right side wall 10 of the upper portion into position underlying the upper portion, and bringing the marginal edges 3,289,328 Patented Dec. 6, 1966 15, 16 together at the left side of the upper portion of the article and securing said edges together by stitching or first seam 17. The left side wall of the upper portion thus formed is then secured along its bottom edge to the bottom wall flange 6a, as by stitching or second seam 18, which extends along the length of the left side, leaving the bottom Wall 6 and the heel or rear portion 19 uninterrupted by any seam.

In FIG. 3 I show a blank or strip 25 from which my foot cover or sport sock is formed as above described. The material of the strip or blank may be any suitable material, preferably of the stretch type, such as terry stretch cloth, or it may be laminated. The components described hereinabove are given like reference numerals in FIG. 3.

From the foregoing description, it will be observed that I have provided a foot cover or sport sock which may be produced with a minimum amount of labor and which is free of any seam beneath the foot of the wearer. My device also does not require that its heel portion be reinforced or lined by any stiffening member.

While I have shown the seam 17 as extending diagonally from the bottom wall to the top edge of the article, it will be understood that said seam may be vertically or otherwise disposed.

Also, while I have only described my foot cover or sport sock as being adapted to be worn on the right foot of the wearer, it will be understood that the foot cover or sport sock for the left foot would be of the same construction except that seams 17 and 18 would, in the latter event, be positioned on the right side of the foot cover if it is intended to be worn on the left foot.

In FIG. 4 I show a modification of my invention wherein all the parts are as before described and are given like reference numerals, except that the side wall portion 25' has a triangular extension 26 underlapping the contiguous side wall portion 27, and the marginal edge 16 is stitched to the side wall portion 25 by the seam 17.

I claim:

A sports sock comprising a single piece of soft, flexible fabric material folded to provide a sole wall to underlie the foot of the wearer, said wall having along one of its sides an integral upturned flange extending lengthwise of the sock and having along its opposite side an integral extension folded to conform to the upper and heel portions of said foot and defining a foot-passing opening; a first seam securing the free end portions of said extension together between the ends of said sock above said flange, and a second seam securing the contiguous edge portion of said extension to the free edge portion of said flange, whereby to render all portions of said sole wall entirely uninterrupted by and spaced below any seam.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,146,468 9/1964 McDonald 36-10 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,057,033 5/1959 Germany.

20,480 1912 Great Britain. 27,345 1903 Great Britain. 275,922 8/ 1927 Great Britain.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

PATRICK D. LAWSON, Examiner. 

